Ukrainian AI-driven mental wellness platform, Pleso Therapy, has raised $1.2 million in a significant funding round. The investment, led by Vchasno Group and TA Ventures, with notable participation from angel investor Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian professional boxer and current world heavyweight champion, will fuel the company’s European expansion and further development of its AI-powered services.
Pleso Therapy is already demonstrating strong market fit, having delivered over 150,000 therapy sessions to more than 20,000 users across Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. With over 80% of sales now coming from EU clients and a threefold increase in sales volume last year, the platform is on a clear growth trajectory.
A Mission-Driven Approach to Mental Wellness
The inspiration for Pleso stemmed from Co-Founder & CEO Oleksandr Bondariev’s personal challenges in finding accessible online psychological support in late 2020. “We launched Pleso in 2021, developing our product with an IT-centric approach, informed by extensive user feedback”, Bondariev stated. This user-first mentality is central to Pleso’s mission: “Every decision is filtered through one question: ‘Will this action genuinely help improve our client’s moral state?'”
This commitment extends to ensuring quality care. Anna Lissova, Co-Founder & Chief Therapist, emphasized the platform’s rigorous therapist vetting process, which includes requirements for higher psychological education, experience, and continuous professional development. “Our aim is to elevate the standard of psychological services”, Lissova noted. Pleso also actively works to destigmatize mental healthcare, promoting it as a crucial component of overall well-being.
Fueling Innovation and Reach
The new $1.2 million investment will be channeled into:
- Advancing AI Capabilities: Enhancing therapist-matching algorithms and personalizing the user experience through AI.
- Team Expansion: Strengthening marketing and product development teams with talent focused on health-tech and AI.
- European Growth: Scaling its client base in the EU, building on its successful Polish launch which was supported by Google’s Ukraine Support Fund and the MIT EF CEE Poland Prize program.
- B2B Development: Expanding its services for corporate clients, which already include firms like Intellias and N-iX.
Pleso has also demonstrated resilience and social responsibility, notably by providing free and low-cost psychological aid to Ukrainians affected by the war after a brief operational pause to ensure therapist safety.
Investor Confidence
“We invested in Pleso because we believe in their marketplace model and the critical need for quality mental health support”, said Mykola Paliienko, co-founder and CEO of Vchasno Group. Viktoriya Tigipko, founder of TA Ventures, added, “Pleso offers a holistic ecosystem for psychological support, and we believe in its potential to transform the mental health market in Europe”.
Founded by Oleksandr Bondariev, Anna Lissova, Oleksiy Yakubenko, and Vitaliy Marchenko, Pleso Therapy is poised to make a significant impact on how mental healthcare is accessed and experienced across Europe, driven by technology and a profound commitment to user well-being.
Source: DEV.ua
